No less than nine $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes divisions featuring 78 diagonally-gaited freshmen are set to be contested this Friday evening (July 20) at Scioto Downs.
The second leg of the four-round series will take place Friday. A total of 42 colts and geldings will be in action over five divisions, while a total of 36 fillies will battle over four divisions.
The male sires stakes performers are set to compete in Race 1, 5, 7, 10 and 12, while the fillies will take to the track for Race 2, 3, 11 and 13. All of the Leg One winners have returned to vie in the second leg (the colts battled on July 2 and the fillies on July 3 at Northfield Park).
Among the male trotters, Homer Hall carries the hopes of trainer Steve Carter and co-owners Jay Mossbarger and C.P. Gallagher postward in the first division. The Broadway Hall youngster scored his Leg One victory in wire-to-wire fashion with Ryan Stahl at the lines in 1:59.3. Homer Hall is now three for three lifetime and is set to host Stahl in the bike again from Post 7.
Oh So Pine won his Leg One division in 2:01.3 with Anthony MacDonald driving for Jason McGinnis and Thestable Oh So Pine Group. The Uncle Peter gelding has collected $25,250 thus far in just two lifetime starts. Bred by GBW Breeding Farm, Oh So Pine will start from Post 3 in the fourth sires stakes division for the same connections.
The Parent Racing Stable’s Bosley was clocked in 1:59.2 in his front-stepping Leg One triumph for driver Ryan Stahl and trainer Scott Cox. Bred by Darwin and Ann Shaver, the Manofmanymissions gelding is one for two this season, and will start from Post 8 with Stahl at the helm once again in the fourth sires stakes division.
TCs Best led from gate to wire in Leg One and stopped the timer in 1:59 for Aaron Merriman in his first lifetime start. The Triumphant Caviar colt, who is trained and co-owned by Chris Beaver along with J. Gallagher, Moger-Delia Racing and Steven Zeehandelar, will start from the rail with Merriman in the sulky in the fifth sires stakes division. TCs Best was bred by Barbara Murdock and Murdock Racing Stable.
Starting alongside TCs Best in Post 2 in the fifth division will be Lane Of Stone, a brown son by Wishing Stone who is owned by Harry & Iris Horowitz. Piloted by Jeff Nisonger, Lane Of Stone went wire-to-wire in Leg One and clocked a victory timed in 2:07.4 over a track listed as ‘good.’ The homebred is conditioned by Mark Winters Sr.
Among the fillies, Leg One winners See Me Sparkle (PP2, Jeff Pantaleano) and Vivi D (PP7, Trace Tetrick), both daughters of Broadway Hall, will square off in the first sires stakes contest for two-year-old distaffers. The former is trained by J. L. Adams for the Pennsylvania-based partnership of M. Valentic, J.R. Bednarksi and K.L. Adams and scored a 2:00.3 triumph in a come-from-behind effort.
Dan Ater trains and co-owns the latter, along with Kirk Nichols, and harnessed Vivi D to a 1:59.2 clocking in a near wire-to-wire effort. Both fillies will be trying for their second career victories in as many starts. See Me Sparkle was bred by Midland Acres, while Vivi Di was bred by D & M Robinson and Robert Mondillo.
Aunt Rose is an Uncle Peter lass that was never headed in Leg One – she won by seven lengths in 1:59.1 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. at her lines. Bred by Spring Haven Farm and Doug Millard, Aunt Rose is co-owned by trainer Chris Beaver along with Michael Carter, Joe Sbrocco and Steven Zeehandelar. She’ll start from Post 9 with Wrenn Jr., aboard in the second of the sires stakes’ filly divisions.
Stone In Love notched her first career victory in Leg One, timed in 1:59.2 with Aaron Merriman driving for trainer Chris Beaver. The Wishing Stone lass will start from Post 2 in the third division (Race 11) with Chris Page driving for owners Beaver, Jim Burnett and Tim Homan. The youngster was bred by Mark Ford and Ed Mullinax.
The decisive Spirit Bell will head up the fourth sires stakes division for fillies, and despite being saddled with Post 9, appears to be the one to beat in here. Ryan Stahl steered her to a 1:58 clocking in Leg One and will return again for trainer Kent Sherman and owners Melissa Patterson and Daryl Sherman. Spirit Bell, a daughter of Southwind Spirit, was bred by Dublin Valley Farm.
Leg Three of the Ohio Sires Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts and fillies will be contested on Monday, August 6 at Northfield Park.
(With files from the OSDF)